For most people, that, right there, was the question on everybody’s lips in 2013, when Kanye West and Kim Kardashian got engaged.
The stunner, a 15-carat cushion-cut diamond was designed by Lorraine Schwartz, who interestingly, was the same designer for her previous engagement ring from Kris Humphries.
Worth about $4million, Lorraine Schwartz described Kim’s rock as the ‘perfect cushion-cut diamond‘ as illustrated in Petra Gems’ cut measurements. It excels in elegance and given its pave band setting; it almost looks as if the diamond is suspended in the air.
The D Type IIA flawless jewel doubled as a 33rd birthday present for Kim at the time. Trust Kanye to always turn up in style. He proposed to her in San Francisco’s AT&T Park. The proposal was accompanied by a complete symphony orchestra and a Jumbotron message displaying the words, ‘”Pleeease marry meee!!!”
But that was not the end of the story.
They got married in May 2014, and once again, Kim rocked a simpler Lorraine Schwartz diamond-encrusted wedding band. The wedding band complemented her breath-taking Givenchy gown at a ceremony in Florence, Italy that was star-studded with about 200 invited guests in attendance.
In 2016, after about 3 years, Kanye, in his usual display of opulence, decided that the engagement ring he gave to Kim in 2013 deserved an upgrade. See some options for engagement ring alternatives at Ultimate Diamond Guide.
And so, once again, top-notch celebrity designer, Loraine Schwartz was called upon. This time he created a 20 carat D flawless Type Ila emerald cut. This stunner was designated as one of the top 2% diamond engagement rings in the world and was worth about $8 million.
Kanye, really went all out to get this upgrade. This new ring, just like the one Kanye gave to her initially, also featured its prongs at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions. These positions are in contrast to most other diamonds of this nature that usually have their prongs at the sides.
Of all the engagement rings that Kim had received, this was her biggest ever. Remember that she got a 20-carat ring from Kris Humphries that was valued at $2million initially. Although after her 72-day marriage, the ring was returned and subsequently auctioned off to an unknown buyer at about $749, 000.
Sources close to Kim say she was stunned at Kanye’s upgrade as she was not expecting him to do that. Kanye still ensured that the vibe of the former ring was reserved. Apparently, Kim loves large rocks and Kanye gave her a large rock that was over and beyond all she ever expected.
It was noticed for the first time at the MTV VMAs award when they both stepped on the red carpet. Paparazzi immediately went into a frenzy and debates started online as to whether it was the same engagement ring or not.
However, that same year, on October 5, Kim’s Paris Fashion Week residence was robbed and this upgraded engagement ring was stolen. Although no life was lost, they stole about $11million worth of Kim’s jewelry and she was gagged, handcuffed, and placed in her bathtub.
It was a sad experience for Kim and Kanye and to date, the whereabouts of the ring are not known. This robbery was the largest robbery of an individual in France in the last 2 decades. According to investigators, robbers as professional as those that executed this would most likely not sell the ring as it was stolen. They would probably have it re-cut by a specialist jeweler to erase all distinguishing features and numbers.
AIG, Kim’s insurer, paid for the cost of the stolen jewels but went ahead to sue Kim’s security guard and his company for negligence. Arrests have been made, but the ring has still not been found.
It is said that such an elegant emerald cut diamond went missing in that manner.
But the good thing is that we can still remember how gorgeous and elegant it was. Definitely, it felt so good to wear and Kim could not wait to flaunt it on occasion.